REMEMBER WHAT 
I TOLD YOU

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 6^th Monday after Easter  is, “Remember What I Told You!”

I’m taking that from the last sentence in today’s gospel. “I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.” [John 16:4]

In my title I changed  the “that” to “what” - mainly because if we don’t remember what someone told us - how can it be helpful? Okay, we might remember they told us something - and we knew it was important at the time - so we know their motive was concern for us. But! But the what is what will help us.  To me that’s the key.

JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES A LOT

Jesus told his disciples a lot of things.  Lucky for us - people remembered some of what he told them and some folks wrote his words down - or told others what he said.

So we have the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - to be thankful - for gathering the words of Jesus - and putting them down on papyrus or vellum - or animal skin.

Some people love the Red Letter editions of the gospels where what Jesus said is written in red ink.

What I love is the Greek Editions of the New Testament - because they get me closer to what Jesus said in Aramaic than the English translations.

Last September 13^th, 2012, I had a great moment to savor. It was a Thursday. I was with some folks from the parish. We were on a trip. We were in London. However, that morning, a group went to Paris on the fast train under the English Channel. Others went elsewhere in London. That morning I went with George one of the group. We saw St. Paul's and a few other famous London sights. That Thursday afternoon, I left George and headed for the British Library. George had some other stuff he wanted to see. Moreover, I didn’t think he or anyone else would want to go to the British Library.

I’ve always wanted to see with my own eyes some tiny, tiny scraps - remains of a copy of the Gospel of John that are dated to around the 2^nd century. I went looking for them in the British Museum in London a few years earlier - but a guide there told me they were in the British Library. Never got there - because of time - but here was another chance to get there - finally - on September 13^th 2012. I found the room I was looking for. There I stood looking at these tiny scraps - under heavy glass. I was looking at something much more important to me than the London Bridge or Westminster Cathedral.

They also had under glass the Codex Sinaiticus which I also always wanted to see. It’s dated to some time in the 300’s.

Before I die - it's on my Bucket List - I’d love to see in the John Rylands Library in Manchester, England, Papyrus 457. It is dated to the 2^nd century - that’s the 100’s. It’s a tiny scrap of papyrus which has on it, John 18:31-33. It’s the oldest surviving fragment of the entire NT. 

It was found in an a key town in Egypt - along the Nile. Specialists tell us that indicates that copies of the Gospel of John,  some 40 to 45 years after John wrote his gospel that it had made its way to far away Egypt.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Remember What I Told You!”

Writers were remembering what Jesus told us - and we are doing just what Jesus told us to do. Use these words - use what I told you - to hold together your life in me.

For homework, dig deep into the soil along rivers of your life - and find fragments of Jesus’ words that you have preserved - that you use to hold together your life - your favorite sayings of Jesus - texts - precious words that captivate who you are.

In that last statement in today’s gospel Jesus says just that. Listen again to his motive why he told us what he told us,  “I have told you this so that you may not fall away.”

Get your own pen and paper and write down the words of Jesus that are key to you - words that more important than seeing the London Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge, Westminster Cathedral or St. Patricks’ Cathedral - the Pope or Elvis Presley - if he’s still around. 

OOOOOOO

Painting on top: The Lord's Supper by Gail Meyer

SUFFERING

Quote for Today  - May 6, 2013

"I do not believe 
that sheer suffering teaches. 
If suffering also taught, 
all the world would be wise,
since everyone suffers. 
To suffering must be added 
mourning, understanding, 
patience, love, openness 
and the willingness
to remain vulnerable."

Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Time, February 5, 1973

Painting on top: Rembrandt

INNER PRAYER

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Sixth Sunday of Easter C, is, “Inner Prayer.”

We know outside prayer: the Our Father, a Hail Mary, the “Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace” prayer, the Grace before meals prayer: “Bless us O Lord and these your gifts which we are about to receive from your bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen.” We know  the Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” We know the public "outside" prayers of the Mass. We know famous prayers, public prayers, the prayers of other’s - but today I want to reflect upon inner prayer - or quiet prayer, silent prayer, secret prayer, or thinking to oneself prayer….

WHY THIS TOPIC - WHY THIS THEME?

To be transparent, I chose this topic because I found today’s readings are tough readings to get a clear and practical and helpful topic and theme to preach about.

Because of that I chose this topic and theme of inner prayer by default,  because when reading surveys on what people want to hear more about  from the pulpit and in Spiritual Reading - I often spot people’s call for more on prayer.

One of my favorite scenes in the gospels is Luke 11: 1-13 - when the disciples of Jesus say to him: “Lord, teach us how to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” They want more on prayer. This is the year or Luke so we’ll hear that Gospel on the weekend of July 28^th. I don’t repeat homilies - and I also assume you’ll forget what I’m preaching on today by 2 PM - if not sooner. Smile.

In the meanwhile, from time to time we’re like the disciples. We ask Jesus to teach us how to pray.  And Jesus teaches his disciples the Our Father prayer.

That’s a good place to begin inner prayer. It’s the first Christian prayer that missionaries translate into a new language. It’s the prayer that everyone knows. It can be said with all Christians - it brings us together in prayer.  We’ve all been with families who stand around the dinner table hold handing hands saying the Our Father together. Some families stand together in the evening - and say the Our Father before the youngest goes to bed. I’ve been at the bedside of many a person dying - with the family around the bed - at home - or Mandarin House - or the hospital  - and we’re holding hands and saying the Our Father together. It’s a very natural thing to do.

I’ve noticed in nursing homes the following: I’m all alone with a person who is really out of it.  Someone in the family called and asked me to visit someone. So I say the Our Father out loud. Sometimes when I do this, I see the person’s lips moving. In fact I learned that the last two things people can say when they can’t say anything else,  it’s the Our Father and they join in when they hear someone singing, “Happy Birthday.”

The Our Father is basic. We all have it memorized. Hopefully we’ve all taken it apart in inwardly - in inner prayer and  reflection. It’s a prayer for life’s essentials: daily bread for all, forgiveness for all - to forgive and be forgiven of when we trespassed or stepped over the boundaries with others or others have hurt us - and especially being able to say to God our Father, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Oh my God, don’t we want it - our way - every day?

In Luke 11 - after teaching his disciples the Our Father, Jesus then goes deeper with teaching his disciples how to pray.  He tells us nag God, beg God, scream out in the night at God’s windows for help. Jesus asks us to ask, and seek, and knock on God’s door and God will give us bread, not stones, fish, not snakes, eggs not scorpions.

The title of my homily is, “Inner Prayer” - to reflect upon others prayers and our inner prayers - inside our mind - inside our home. Inner Prayer.

YESTERDAY - TWO FIRST COMMUNIONS AND A WEDDING

Yesterday I went to both First Communion Masses at St. John Neumann Church - one at 9 AM and the other at 12. And I had a wedding at 3 PM.

The church was packed, packed, with extra seats added in the back for the First Communions at St. John Neumann and fairly filled for the wedding.

At the First Communions I was off to the side - very happy that our pastor, Father Tizio and Deacon Leroy Moore were up front. Father Tiz is the best I’ve seen yet preaching to kids - and if you can reach the kids, you can reach their parents and grandparents - who had filled the church.

I had time to just sit there. We were up front - but off to the side - and I could see faces - lots and lots of faces. And I like to look at faces and pray for that person. I also like to imagine and wonder what is going on in other people’s minds and hearts.

If I don’t know the face, I pray if they are not church goers, they will reconsider. I pray if they have been hurt by life or church or others, they will forgive and be forgiven. I pray that they will look at their children and grandchildren and be grateful for this gift of life - saying to themselves, “It’s all worth it.”

At weddings I figure parents are making a review of their kids’  whole life - the curses and the blessings, the good times and the bad, the sickness and the health. I figure they are thanking God in inner prayer. I sometimes hear them saying, “It’s about time.” Or “Help these two, O Lord, help them.” I can sometimes hear them saying, “Make us grandparents. Make us grandparents!” And I can hear grandparents thinking, “Thank you Lord, for the grace to be here at this moment.”

Inner prayer.

I think all of us wonder what others are thinking - and talking to themselves about. In this homily I want to stress the prayer in what we’re inwardly thinking and praying about. So listen to your inner prayers - they will tell you a lot about you.

CONCLUSION; TODAYS 3 READINGS

Moving towards a conclusion - let me use today’s three readings.

Today’s first reading again this week is from the Acts of the Apostles tell us about debate and dissension in the early church. So what else is new.

It’s always something. Every family, every work place, every organization has debate and dissension. Inner prayer calls us to talk to each other and to pray to the Holy Spirit for help - as we see Paul and Barnabas and the early church doing.

Today’s second reading again this week if from the Book of Revelation. It pictures a great revelation of Jerusalem - the Holy City - one of the images of Heaven - in splendor. It pictures glittering gates and walls with sacred graffiti on them: the names of the 12 apostles.

Using imagination to tie this into my theme for today. Early in the gospels we hear Jesus talk about our inner room - where we pray to the Father in quiet. I know myself and my life - at times I’ve rarely visited that inner room. I like to think by the time I hit heaven, please God - all the walls are down, all the doors are open - and that inner room is filled with all God’s people - because that’s heaven, that’s happiness - union with all people and with our God.

Today’s gospel from John speaks especially to inner or inside prayer - because if we read the gospels - Jesus seems to always be in communion with his Father - in prayer. We see him trying to find time and space - to be with his Father in prayer - and he keeps on being interrupted by the needs of people - but it’s this union, communion, connection with his father - that gets him to reach out to be in communion with all people. Amen.

REPUTATION

Quote for Today - May 5, 2013 - Cinco de Mayo.

"A bad cut can be cured, but a bad reputation can kill."

Spanish proverb

DEATH OF PARENTS

Quote for Today - May 4,  2013

"There's nothing so sad as a 55-year old orphan."

Ella Grasso, on her parents' deaths. Boston Globe, November 10, 1984

OLD AGE

Quote for Today - May 3,  2013

"If you prepare for old age, old age comes sooner."

Anonymous

Question: Agree or disagree?

INTRODUCERS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this feast of St. Philip and St. James is, “Introducers!”

I’m only going to look at Philip - not James - sorry to any James here. I want to look at Philip’s place in the gospels - and it’s not that much of a picture of him. I like to see him as “The introducer!”

FIRST INTRODUCERS

I have lots of weddings and one of my favorite questions is, “How did you two meet?”

And often in the description of how a couple discovered each other I hear the word “introduced”.  My best friend introduced us to each other. Or a cousin or a co-worker. Nice. I’ve heard a couple of times the story when a  guy said his girl friend introduced us to each other - and I dropped her - when I saw this one. Ouch! Maybe.

Introducers….

If we look at our life, we  can come up with people who introduced us to Tupperware, The Green Turtle, Bridge, Tennis, NCIS, Ball Room Dancing, or what have you.

If we look at the story of our life, we can come up with who introduced us to friends.

Introducers….

PHILIP

Good playwrights and good story tellers know how to use people to introduce other people or new situations into a story - small part people who bring about a change in the direction of the plot.

So in the Gospel of John that we heard today, we see Philip playing the role of middle man - the go to man - who brings people to Jesus. [Cf. John 14:6-14]

In the first chapter of John, we read about Philip introducing Nathaniel to Jesus.

In  the twelfth chapter of John, some Greeks want to meet Jesus - so they go to Philip who is the guy to go to - to have an audience with Jesus.

I’m sure those who know the present pope get calls from strangers to see if they can get an introduction to meet the pope.

And in today’s fourteenth chapter of John, Philip wants an introduction from Jesus to meet Got the Father. The Gospel of John uses Philip’s question to Jesus to see the Father - to have Jesus tell Philip a  basic or key message that he gave us: “See me, see the Father!”

OUR JOB AS CHRISTIANS

Our job as Christians is to introduce people to Christ.

How many people have become Catholic because of the good example of their spouse?

Question: how many people have we introduced to Christ - and Christ introduced them to the Father because of us?

My prayer at every wedding and every funeral is that someone here will be introduced to Christ, to religion, to God the Father, because of being at that wedding or funeral. This might be the only time they are in church this year.

Tomorrow we have First Communion at St. John Neumann - 2  different Masses - as well as in many, many, many churches across the world. I am aware that there is someone here who hasn’t been going to church for the first time in a long time. I pray that they will be introduced or reintroduced to Jesus Christ.

HORROR STORIES

As priest I hear horror stories - about priests. Someone told me they went to the first communion of a grandson and the priest announced with full firmness of voice from the pulpit: if you haven’t gone to confession in the past year, don’t even think of coming to communion today.  I remember one priest giving a talk on Birth Control at a First Communion Mass.  Recently, someone asked me a question about baptism: “Can a child who was conceived by artificial insemination be baptized?”  I said, “Of course!” Then the person who asked me the question,  said that a priest told my niece that her kid could not be baptized.  I would hope there is a lot more to the story than that. So I don’t know the rest of  the story. I figured something is missing in the story.  I figure some people at a wedding or a funeral or a baptism or a First Communion - who have dropped out - might have dropped out because of a hurt. As priest, I’ve heard lots of stories about priests who pushed people away from God and church and the sacraments.

My hope and prayer is always that we priests - and all Catholics - that we be introducers of people to God and Christ.

You’ve all heard the quote from St. Francis of Assisi. I’m still not sure if it’s true, but in a way who cares: “Preach the gospel, sometimes use words.”

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “Introducers.”

Philip introduced people to Jesus - and Jesus will introduce us to God the Father.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life - as we heard in today’s gospel from John.

A twist in the story is the presentation of God by introducers or those who people look to for Christian example. I’ve heard various people tell me about their God - and as I heard their take on God, I have had to bite my lip - and my tongue - because the God they were introduced to is not my God.

Who is your God?  Who is Our Father?

Jesus tells us in today’s gospel that he is the way the truth and the life.

Jesus is the way to the Father. Jesus shows us the truth called God.  Jesus gives us the life that is God.

When people introduce me to a God who they think planned a baby’[s death - when I hear people think God’s maps out another’s life and puts horror stories in the script - when people introduce me to a vengeful  God - I say, “That’s not my God.. Then I introduce them to Luke 15 - and say, “Read all three parables and read them carefully.” 

ooooooooooooo

PAINTINGS: 

Top: The Apostle Philip by Durer, c. 1516

Middle: Apostle Philip by Ducio c. 1301

Last: The Apostle Philip by El Greco c. 1612